Loudest Year Yet: Music Festivals Around the World

Nov 8, 2012 — Each year, music festivals in every major city attract crowds numbering in the hundreds of thousands with back-to-back performances by the best bands, DJs, and singers in the world. These festivals feature multiple stages and a long list of performers, giving fans the opportunity to see all their favorite artists together in one place.

From legends like Coachella to indie staples like Pitchfork, the world’s music festivals offer fans a series of live concerts, immersive art, and the chance to be a part of cultural history. In Europe, the biggest names in mainstream pop and EDM keep massive crowds dancing all night. While over in the US, audiophiles discover the sounds of rising stars as they share the stage with living legends.

Whether you want to skank to gutter punk, jump in unison to pop hits, or dance to the latest beats by chart-topping DJs, there’s sure to be a festival with the right line-up to match your tastes. The most popular events sell out early each year so book your tickets as soon as you can and get ready for an unforgettable experience at one of our favorite music festivals around the world.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Arts Festival / Concert / DJ Event / Music Festival Every year in April
A massive music festival that takes over the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival attracts major names across a wide range of musical genres, as well as huge crowds that more than double Indio’s normal population of 75,000 residents. Now held in two installments – typically during
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Los Angeles Empire Polo Field (Indio, CA)

81-800 Avenue 51
Indio, CA 92201

323‑930‑5700
Lollapalooza

Music Festival Every Year in August
Running for three, music-packed days in Chicago every August, Lollapalooza is a massive outdoor music festival that routinely draws more than 160,000 people to Grant Park. Originally conceived by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza initially ran for six years and toured all over North America. The event was put on hold from
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Chicago Grant Park / Millennium Park

Between South Michigan Avenue to Lake Michigan and East Roosevelt Road to East Randolph Street.

312‑742‑7648
Rock en Seine

Music Festival Every year on the last weekend in August
A two-to-three-day rock festival that takes place just outside of Paris every August, Rock en Seine has been an annual Paris event since 2003. Held at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud Park – inside a beautiful garden designed by famed landscape architect André Le Nôtre – Rock en Seine consistently brings in a stellar lineup of indie and
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Paris Domaine National de Saint-Cloud

Saint-Cloud
92210 Paris

01 41 12 02 90
Pitchfork Music Festival

Music Festival Every year in July
July in Chicago is a good month to be a music fan, as over 50,000 young, devoted music lovers take over Chicago’s Union Park for three days of alternative rock, rap & hip-hop, electronica, and dance music. Normally taking place on a consecutive Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the Pitchfork Music Festival became an instant hit when the first one
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Chicago Union Park

1501 West Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60607

312‑746‑5494
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival

Arts Festival / Food & Drink Event / Music Festival / Wine Festival Every year in August
The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – more commonly referred to as just Outside Lands – is an annual music festival held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park that features a huge assortment of live music, often from more than 75 different performers. Launched in 2008 and typically scheduled over the third or fourth weekend in August, Outside
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San Francisco Golden Gate Park

Between Stanyan Street to the east
and Great Highway to the west,
and Fulton Street to the north
and Lincoln Way to the south
San Francisco, CA 94118

415‑831‑2700
Sónar Music Festival

Music Festival Every year in June
Normally scheduled during the third week of June, the Sónar Music Festival is an annual event in Barcelona that features a wide range of advanced music performances and new media art expos held at venues all over town. Lasting for three full days, the Sónar Music Festival first debuted in 1994, and lately it has been routine to see more than 80,000
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Barcelona Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona

Montalegre, 5
08001 Barcelona

93 306 41 00

Fira de Barcelona

Av. Joan Carles I, 64
08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

90 223 32 00
Wireless Festival

Music Festival Every year in July
Launched in 2005, the Wireless Festival takes place in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park every year in early July, and promises 70+ big-name bands and DJs on multiple stages. For lovers of the mainstream and electronic music scene, the Wireless Festival is a can’t-miss summer event. Over 60,000 fans a day pour into the
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London Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Stratford, London, E15
Life is Good Festival

Arts Festival / Concert / Music Festival Every year in September
The Life is Good Festival is a two-day arts and music festival that takes place at Prowse Farm in Boston every September. Hosted by the Boston-based clothing company, Life is Good, the festival entirely benefits the Life is Good Kids Foundation, a nonprofit committed to helping children overcome life-threatening challenges. Started in 2003, the
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Boston Prowse Farm (Canton)

5 Blue Hill River Road
Canton, MA 02021

781‑828‑3276
Amsterdam Dance Event

DJ Event / Music Festival Every year in October
Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is the world’s premier electronic music conference. Organized by the Amsterdam Event Foundation, a part of the Buma Cultuur, which is a non-profit organization that promotes both international and Dutch electronic artists, ADE showcases every genre and subgenre of electronic dance music (EDM). ADE started in 1996 with
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Amsterdam Throughout the city

Author: Daniel Baker
Links: Music Festivals in Los Angeles Music Festivals in London Music Festivals in NYC
Tags: Travel, Festive, Nightlife, Culture, Live Music, Concerts, Music Lovers

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The Loudest Year Yet: Music Festivals Around the World

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Lollapalooza

Rock en Seine

Pitchfork Music Festival

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival

Sónar Music Festival

Wireless Festival

Life is Good Festival

Amsterdam Dance Event

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